Mechanical musical instrument.



No. 683,825. Patented 0ct. I, 190|. P. WELIN, MECHANICAL IUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

(Applinltion Mod lab. 19, 1001.)

3 Shah-Sheet I.

(lo Iodel.)

Il Il Zac-1 N0. 683,825. Patented Oct. l, |90I. P. WELIN.

MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

(Appnmion med nu. 12. 1901.) y (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

Patented Oct. I, |901.

(Application Med Feb, 19, 1901.)

3 Sheets-Shoot 3.

(No Model.)

MT NESS EE! 6M @www UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PETER VELIN, OF lVORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE AEOLIAN COMPANY, OF MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT.

MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming pm of Letters Patent N. 683,825, dated october 1, 190i.

Application filed February 12l 1901. Serial No. It7,022. (No niodel.)

To @ZZ whom z3 may concern:

Be it known that I, PETER VVELIN, of WVorcester, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mechanical Musical Instruments, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in mechanical musical instruments, more particularly to pianolas or other mechanical musical instruments operated by a perforated musical sheet; and to this end the invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more specifically described,illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a detail front view of a portion of a pianola, showing the take-up roll, perforated music-sheet in place, some of the driving mechanism of the instrument, and with the present invention in front view. Fig. 2 is a detail end view of part of the driving mechanism. Fig. 3 is a detail transverse vertical cross-section on line 3 3, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the under side, showing some of the operating parts of the present invention. Fig. 5 is a plan view in detail of parts of the invention for operation on the music-roll more particularly.

In the drawings, A represents the take-up roll arranged to turn in two upright arms B C of a horizontal rock bar or board D, pivoted at each end at ct to the nprights E F, respectively, of the framework and at the forward part of the bar I), as shown in Fig. 3 more particularly, so that the uprights, with the take-up roll, will by their gravity swing backward within certain limits for the purpose to be described.

G is-a shaft turning in bearings in the upright F and a bracket K, having a pinion-gear II on its end, which is in line with a gear J, secured to the take-np roll, so that when it is swung forward on the pivots a the gear J will engage the gear H for the turning of the takeup roll as the shaft G is turned. The shaft G has a sprocket-wheel L, which is arranged to have engaged therewith a sprocket-chain,

in turn engaging with the driving-shaft of the motor, butnotshown. Misanothersprocketwheel on the shaft G, having a sprocket-chain N, which engages with a sprocket-wheel P on a loose sleeve Q on a shaft R, turning in a bracket S and a bearing in the upright F, to which shaft is connected the music-roll T. When the sleeveis moved to the right, Fig. l, itengages, by a pin d, with a pin e of a collar f, secured to the shaft R, by which as the sleeve is turned the shaft will be turned, and with it the music-roll; but when the sleeve is moved to the left it will be free of its clutch connection with the shaft and not turn the shaft with it.

U is a lever pivoted at g to the front of the framework and projecting up through an opening in the frame-board V and having connected to it a rod W, which by itsother end is connected to a right arm h of a rockshaft Y, pivoted in bearings m fn, and having another arm r near its upper end with a pin t, which engages with a circumferential groove uin the sleeve Q, so that by swinging the lever U to the right into the position shown in Fig. 1 the rock-shaft Y is turned suiiiciently for its arm r to move the sleeve to the left, as shown in Fig. l, and thus disengage it from the music-roll shaft R, so it will not be operated, and by moving the lever to the left the rock-shaft is swung in the opposite direction and the sleeve moved to the right to engage, as described, with the music-roll shaft R for it to be turned in the operation of the instrument.

Under the board V is a horizontal wire or rod A', disposed, respectively, in blocks V W, secured to the underside of the board, forming bearings in which the wire can rock or turn. This wire A has right-angular bends or offsets B', as shown more particularly in Fig. 1, and one end is bent forward, as at a', and then to the right, as at b', to be in position for such end b' to bear against the upper side of a block or shoulder d', secured to the inner side of the lever U, so that as the lever is swung to the left, Fig. 1, it will press against the arm b and, raising it, canse the wire A' to swing in its bearings for its bends B/ to move downward, and as the lever is moved to the right the wire will swing down IOO not only from its gravity, but from. other means to be described. Y Y Y Back of and near each end of the take-up roll is an arm C', extending down through openings c' in the board V and pivoted at f' to the frame, the upper end of each arm having a yfriction roll g' pivoted thereto and arranged to bear when desired against the take-up roll or upon the music-sheet as it is being wound thereon, as shown more particularly in Fig. 3. The arm C' has a right-angular extension D' beyond its pivot under the board V and has a spiral spring E' bearing on its upper side at its end and against the under side of the board, which acts to hold the extension D' down and thus the frictionroll g' against the take-up roll. The end of each extension D' of the arms C' is flattened for a seat for the spring and is disposed in a bend 'B' of the wire, as shown more particularly in Figs. 1 and 3, so that as the wire is swung in the right direction the wire bends will move up and carry with them the extensions D' of the arms C' and, swinging them back, will move their friction-rolls from bearing uponl the take-up roll.

Pivoted at h', back of the music-roll shaft R, is an arm F', similar to the arm C', having a friction-roll m in its upper end, which is in position to bear when desired against a wheel G', secured to the music-roll shaft R, being held thereto by a spiral spring H', resting on the frame and pressing up against a n arm 1?. of the arm F', as shown more particularly in Fig. 2. On the upper end of the rock-shaft Y is an arm J', which is in position as the rock-shaft is turned to press against an eX- tension r' of the arm F', which extension has its face at such an angle that the pressure of the arm J' thereon will move the arm F' back for its friction-roll to be free and clear of the wheel on the music-roll shaft. This arm F', with its friction-roll, is to bear when desired against the Wheel to create sufficient friction thereon to control the movement of the musicroll as it is turned to unwind the musicsheet therefrom, so that the music-sheet will be unwound and delivered therefrom evenly, regularly, and sufficiently slow for its being wound upon the take-up roll properly.

From one end of the rocking board D of the take-np-roll frame extends an arm K', which when the take-up roll is swung forward a notch t in the edge of the lever engages With the arm K' and locks the frame from movement.

In the operation of the instrument, the music-sheet being wound upon the music-roll and the roll placed in the instrument in the usual manner, the outer end of the musicsheet is connected to the take-up roll. The

lever U is moved to the right to engage the pinion-gear H with the take-up-roll gear J, while at the same time the rock-shaft Y is turned, releasing the sleeve Q from engagement with the music-roll shaft R, so it is free to turn. The arm cl of the wire A' is released from pressure upon it by the lever U as it is moved, which allows the springs E' to the arms D' to press them down and thus the friction-rolls g against the take-up roll, which forces the take-up roll forward by its frame D swinging on its pivots for the gear J to engage with the pinion-gear H of the shaft G. Also by the swinging of the rock-shaft 'y its arm J' is moved from pressing upon the eX- tension n' of the arm F', which allows its spring H' to act upon the arm to press its friction-roll m against the music-roll-shaft vwheel G to create the necessary friction thereon. The motor being now operated, the take-up roll is revolved, winding the musicsheet thereon, and as it is so wound the arms C' bear and press against the music-sheet on the take-up roll and cause it to lie evenly, clearly, and smoothly, preventing any looseness of the music-sheet which might Wrinkle or full upon the roll.' Also the friction-arms F' bear upon the music-roll-shaft wheel and create sufficient friction thereon to prevent the delivery of the music-sheet too fast to interfere with its proper wind upon the takeup roll. When it is desired to remove the music-roll from the instrument, the lever U is swung to the left, which swings the wire A' for its bent portions B to move upward and swing the arms C so their friction-rolls are moved from pressure upon the music-sheet. The arm K' of the take-up-roll frame is released from its interlock with the lever U, allowing the take-up roll to fall back, disengaging its gear J from the pinion-gear H, moving the sleeve Q to engage with the music-roll shaft, moving the arm F for its friction-roll m' to be moved froln contact with the wheel G on the music-roll shaft R, when the motor will turn the music-roll shaft and rewind'the music sheet thereon, so that the music-roll and its music-sheet can be removed from the instrument and another music-roll with its music-sheet inserted therein.

In lieu of the spring-arm F' bearing upon the wheel of the music-roll shaft it can be arranged to bear directly upon the roll by having the roll extend sufficiently beyond the music-sheet at one end.

The frame D, carrying the take-up roll, is arranged to be adjusted longitudinally in its support for the purpose of adjusting the taked up roll in relation to winding the music-sheet thereon--as, for instance, if the music-sheet should run to one side or the-other, causing the music-sheet to be wound upon the take- .up roll improperly, the take-up-roll frame can be moved correspondingly and secured, and thus adjust the take-up roll in position for proper winding of the music-sheet thereon. This arrangement is shown in Fig. 1. In each upright E F, in which are the bearings for the frame D, there is a screw L', each in the axial line of the pivot a of the frame and arranged to screw against the outer end of the pivot, and by turning these screws in or out the frame can be adjusted in its bearings and se- IOO cured in such adjustment by the screws so the take-up roll will receive the music-sheet properly in winding thereon.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In a pianola or other mechanical musical instrument operated by a perforated musicsheet, a take-up roll, a perforated music-sheet arranged to be Wound thereon, a pivoted arm having at one end a roll or wheel arranged to bear upon the take-up roll and the music-sheet being Wound thereon, a spring to the arm, a. wire pivoted to a support, a bent portion to engage with and operate the arm and an arm to the wire and a lever arranged to operate the wire arm.

2. In combination a frame pivoted at each end in a bearing, a music or take-up roll for a perforated music-sheet pivoted to the frame, a screw to each frame-pivot in axial line therewith so the frame can be adjusted longitudinally in its bearingsA 3. In a pianola or other mechanical musical instrument, a music-roll, a perforated musicsheet wound thereon and arranged to be unwound therefrom and rewound thereon, a take-up roll onto which the perforated musicsheet is Wound from the music-roll, means constructed and arranged to bear against each of said rolls as a music-sheet is Wound on the take-up roll and unwound from the musicroll to create friction for the purpose specied, mechanism constructed and arranged to connect to and disconnect from the music and the take-up rolls the winding and rewinding mechanism, in combination with a lever for operation of both frictional mechanisms and the connecting and disconnecting Winding and rewinding mechanism.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

A PETER WELIN. Witnessesi GEORGE B. KELLY, EDWARD HARBIsoN. 

